Lack Of Leadership Is Killing Villa

I'm not going to go over the embarrassment of the recent run of results as that has been done to death. Like every other Villa fan, I'm frankly ashamed of those performances.

As a season ticket holder I've been to every home game this season, and with the possible exception of Reading, we are the worst side I've seen.

I'd like to focus on what I think is missing at Aston Villa, and that is leadership. Leadership at pretty much every level from the Boardroom down to different areas of the pitch.

Firstly we are not seeing any leadership from Randy Lerner. What is his strategy for Aston Villa? What is the vision?

Then there is Paul Faulkner. He should be issuing statements describing how he is going to put actions in place that will help achieve Lerner's ambition (whatever that is).

As for Paul Lambert, he has obvious work to do. I am absolutely NOT calling for his head. For what it's worth, I think Lambert should be there next season whether we stay up or not. One of the most crucial acts of leadership is to recognise and accept when you have got something wrong, and then start putting it right. Lambert has to get over his Caledonian cussedness and accept that relying heavily on young players, many from the Championship, for a whole Premiership season IS NOT WORKING.

I understand the need to get the wage bill down. I understand the club has to be on a firm financial footing. I understand the need to bring young players through. I honestly do. But this is too much too soon for our club and if it continues, we WILL be relegated.

On the pitch, in Vlaar's absence, we have no defensive leader. (By the way, does anyone know why a 'calf strain' would keep someone out for so many games? Or what the timescale is for Vlaar's return? Communication is another key factor in leadership). There is no-one taking responsibility for organising the midfield. The constant passing along the length of the halfway line just before booting it up to the opposition centre backs is mystifying me. Are the players on a 'pass bonus'?

Without our much loved and much missed Stan Petrov we don't have a captain to conduct the orchestra. To speed play up when required, to limit damage when damage limitation is the only option, and to close games down when the situation demands. This has cost us vital points countless times already this season.

The team as a whole needs a leader. So enough of the rant.

Here is the Villa YamYam manifesto for immediate implementation:

1. Randy Lerner issues a statement detailing his vision for Aston Villa Football Club in the short, medium and long term. 2. Paul Faulkner backs it up by describing a series of actions to support that vision that he will personally take responsibility for delivering. 3. A proven performer in the Premiership is purchased in January to play at centre back and help lead the defence. 4. A proven performer in the Premiership is purchased in January to play at centre midfield to help marshal that area of the pitch. 5. The fans are given a clear indication of when Ron Vlaar will return to captain the side. If it is not to be soon, then the burden should be lifted from poor Ciaran Clark who is wilting under the pressure.

I for one am chronically tired of the anaemic 'We will be fine' mantra - it is time for positive action. If these actions (or some similar to them) are not implemented quickly then I fear we are doomed to Championship football next season.

Villa, always

VillaYamYam

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I can't believe how lost we all feel, Villa as always been a part of my life, and I've always thought daily if not hourly about whats going on, who we are playing next, where will be in the league after the next win and so on so on, I now just feel (sigh) well you all know, come on Lerner + Faulkner either stand up and take charge or get us up for sale,
this is how the Forest fans must have felt, totally dejected.

All valid points regarding leadership. News from my sources at the club say that Vlaar is in contention for a place on Saturday, as is Westwood. Bents injury on Tuesday was just some bruising. Other than Dunne and Stan I think we have a full compliment of players for Saturday. Dunne is unlikely to be fit any time soon and we all just wish Stan success in all more serious fight. It is vital that we get in an extra body in central defence and that we get in somebody to dominate midfield. Not sure who for centre midfield but Hangeland might be worth a punt for centre half?

Why do people think that changing the manager will not make any difference ?? You are going headless about relegation being a certainty 17 games out. One or two players (who will have to be bedded in) are not going to make as much difference as a new gaffer. Dilbert seems so far incapable of signing players that anyone else has heard of before ie that we know can "be at it" as Joe13 would say. None of the summer signings were leaked beforehand because they simply werent news until they happened ! It appears that he made overtures for Lescott, hoping perhaps that the Villa connection would mean something....given that we probably cannot afford either the fee or the wages, that was a bit hapless. Aside the game this weekend, we have two more HUGE games this month which we have to get something out of....at least 4 pts plus the 3 we must get on Saturday. A win over Newcastle potentially drags them into The Zone, which makes life more complicated for the clubs around us. If you have a look at the run-in you will see why we need to exit January with 26-27 pts to have some chance of success.....

malacaxeta, if we changed the manager now, we'd be much worse off come the summer and would have to spend 50 odd mil this montha and the next window to get what the next manager would want to be successfull. LOL @ pass bonus yamyam. And you missed off 6. Sell Barry Bannan in the next 3 weeks so someone else can take every single freekick and corner and boss our midfield as a midfielder is supposed to do without wasting 50% of our possession whilst gaining only 2% via 10 year old tackles. MON was right, not good enough and getting rid of him could only be positive.

Like ive said before , there are 17 games (51 points left to play for). We need 21 points to guarantee safety That's a win ratio of 41%....our current ratio is 19%. I just can't see how we are going to double this without quality players. Luckily I dont think we will need 40 points this season to be safe.

Yann M'Vila of Rennes -- the current 'new Vieira' -- could be worth a punt. Have Lerner/Faulkner/Lambert even heard of him? Gattuso is an experienced enforcer currently wasted in Switzerland.. Again, have the Villa top brass got the imagination to pursue a player of that experience and class? We propably all know the answer to that.

Arsenal have been linked to M'Vila and FoxSoccer writes ....'If the Gunners don’t make a move for the 22-year-old enforcer, someone will—and whoever it is could end up getting a bargain at around £17million'. Apparently QPR are now closing in on him. If QPR get an enforcer of this potential instead of the Villa then we might as well all give up. Where are the football men at our great club???

Real footballers brought in during the window or Lerner and Faulkner might just as well sell up to someone who knows a great club when they see it. As the article notes there is no leadership, plan or strategy at the club. The buck stops with RL and he has failed to implement anything solid with regards to a vision of the future.

Totally agree. And while it will not be popular, I would point out that in Stephen Warnock and Alan Hutton we have two experienced who have been totally frozen out.
I know they are not going to win any popularity contests, but surely in the short term they might shore things up before the youngsters have their confidence totally shattered for good?
I know Hutton is not exactly the last word in finesse, but at least he would inject a bit of muscle into the back four. At the moment every winger comes to Villa knowing there is a soft underbelly at the back. They would not be half so keen to take them on if they thought there was a risk of getting hurt.
And let's be honest, even at our lowest point last season, we weren't losing 8-0, 4-0 and then 3-1 to Bradford were we?

I am in complete agreement with Yam yam who has articulated the periless position in which we now find ourselves and some of the causes very well. We do need to move some of the current players on, and, well, Mr. Lambert that may include some of your new additions. It is commendable that we get into the squad young hungry players but when they are the only players that we have they cease to become hungry but still remain young. The manager needs to man up and admit that he is wrong and change his mind, I for one would think a lot more of him. Mark has a point regarding bringing back Hutton and Warnock, They may not be keen to return after the way they have been treated but they are still under contract. I think that my suggesting that they should return amply shows how desperate the situation is, I think that Warnock can still do a job, perhaps in midfield? Hutton will be a steadying influence but his skill sets leave much to be desired. I am not at all religeous but maybe praying might help.

son_of_cher, I'm glad someone is thinking the same way as me! This season we have to rely on 3 teams being worse than us as I very much doubt we will hit 40 points this year. To do that we will need to win as many league matches in 17 games (6) as it took us to do in the whole of 2012. We just have to hope beyond hope that we can stay ahead of QPR, Reading, Southampton and Wigan. How has it come to this?

Good article and I think voice is on the money with Hangeland but to be fair to Clark & Baker I believe the weak link in defence is Bennet + having no real midfield. Would the defence have conceeded so easily if they werent under constant pressure as teams walted through our non existant central midfield?only time will tell I know the defeat at Bradford was dismal but I am hell of lot more concerned about our premiership status if the signings most Villa fans know need to be made by the end of january then I cant see how Lambert can dig us out of this situation.

Paul Lambert has stated he wants 1 - 2 new signings on a budget
if that is the case we are going down fact. 1.The team have no strength in the middle 2. there is no width to the team 3. The left back is shocking. No creative spark through out the team.
I know Vlaar is back soon but that is only 1 player and if he gets a injury we are screwed. I can not see us getting any points out of Southampton, If I was a player I would relish playing the villa.

Paul Lambert has stated he wants 1 - 2 new signings on a budget
if that is the case we are going down fact. 1.The team have no strength in the middle 2. there is no width to the team 3. The left back is shocking. No creative spark through out the team.
I know Vlaar is back soon but that is only 1 player and if he gets a injury we are screwed. I can not see us getting any points out of Southampton, If I was a player I would relish playing the villa.

Sky Sports last night showed a list of all premiership clubs' activity so far in the window. We are one of only 4 clubs who have done nothing. In my view we, more than any other club, should have been desperate for the window to open so that Lambert could continue his rebuilding job started in the summer. Surely Lambert isn't so clueless that he can't see we need some additions and quick? But there's been nothing. We should have done our dealings early so that we can be using the new players against Southampton, WBA & Newcastle (games we need points from to stand any chance of survival). Instead, the playetrs who got slaughtered over Christmas a re still ion the firing line with no respite. I sincerely hope that something is going on behind the scenes to strengthen our squad before we go to the Baggies, otherwise we'll be taking a huge gamble of getting humiliated there too, and the fans wont stand for that. The other point is that signing known, proven experience and quality will put bums on seats (and increase revenue). Our fans are deserting us like a sinking ship at the moment because they're not getting anything back from the club for the time and money they invest in being a fan. My anger is increasing with every word so I'm off for a walk in Worcester to calm down...

surely dumping your senior players is a price you pay in terms of losing leadership and experience. with luck, consistency and good and stable management, you may well reap the long term benefits of the current playing kids, however I still fear it could work against a high percentage of them as they are in a sink or swim environment and some will certainly sink

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